Snubber plate



Jan. 4, 1949. J. M. MOON 2,458,287

SNUBBER PLATE Filed Aug. 31, 1944 Patented Jan. 4, 1949 SNUBBER PLATE John M. Moon, Evanston, Ill., assignor to Signode Steel strapping Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application August 31, 1944, Serial No. 552,020

1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to snubber plates of the type secured to the oor or other fixed part of a car or other cargo carrier for controlling the movement of a shiftable load in the car. As is disclosed in detail in patent to Scales No. 1,920,917, dated August 1, 1933, it is old and well known in the art to prepare a load in unit form, preferably on skids or runners extending in the direction of movement of a car, and to connect to the load a flexible metal strap (e. g., one of the longitudinal load unit binders) which is movable forwardly and backwardly in the car with the load, such flexible strap being threaded through an opening in a snubber plate anchored in fixed position on the car so as to apply a braking or retarding effect on the movement of the strap and, in consequence, of the load.

It is the object of this invention to improve plates of this type whereby they may be more effective for applying a braking effect on the movement of the strap, and thus for controlling the movement of the load, and whereby the plates may be quickly and easily removed from the ioor of the car after a period of use, and whereby there shall be substantially reduced v`likelihood of damage to the car by reason of the use of the plates and their removal after use.

It is another object of the invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I have attained my several objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of my improved plates in position on the oor of a car;

Fig. 2 is a vertica1 sectional view taken substantially at the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the preferred method of removing a plate from the car without danger of gouging holes in or otherwise injuring the floor of the car.

Referring now to the several gures of the drawing, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, I indicates the floor of a car having one of my improved snubber plates II secured thereto by means of drive-screws or nails I2 passing through suitable openings I3 through the plate, and serving to anchor the plate very strongly against longitudinal movement with respect to the floor of the car. Preferably the plates II are made from rather hard and tough steel having high resistance to wear, so as not to be unduly worn by the abrading action of the metal straps which thread through the slots thereof. In order not to interfere with or injure the loads placed thereabove, these plates must be relatively thin. Likewise the anchoring action of the drive-screws or nails decreases as the thickness of the plates increases. I have found that a thickness of about one-eighth of an inch gives good results. Each plate II is provided with an elongated opening il! therethrough, in the form of a slot parallel with one transverse edge thereof, for receiving a flexible steel strap I5 threaded through said opening and extending from the opening along the topl and bottom face portions of the plate. The arrangement is such that the strap I5 is given an offsetting or snubbing bend at the point where it passes through the slot I4. As will be readily understood and as is fully explained in said Scales patent above referred to, with the strap I5 connected with a load so as to move therewith and with the strap held in fairly tight condition by its connection with the load, the plate II exerts a braking eiect on the longitudinal movement of the strap so as to permit movement of the load along the face of the floor, and yet to resist or retard such movement and act as a brake against excessive load shift.

v It has been found in practice that the arrangement as shown is very effective for controlling a load in a car so as to protect both the load and the car from damage so far as possible, and so as to keep the load normally in its desired position in the end of the car and away from the space between the side doors at the middle portion of the car.

As is set forth in said Scales patent, the metal straps, such as the strap I5, which are connected with the load sought to be controlled, are rst threaded through the slots of the snubber plates Il and laid out on the oor of the car over the space to be occupied by the load unit, after which the plates II are firmly anchored in position on the floor by means of drive-screws or nails. The load is then placed in position over the straps, the straps are looped about the load unit, tightened to the desired degree and the ends joined by a suitable seal-joint. If, as is frequently the case, the friction between the tensioned strap and the load is insucient to prevent the strap sliding relative to the load, the strap may be anchored against such movement in any appropriate manner. To give the best results there should be little, if any, slippage between the strap and the load. One satisfactory method is to thread the strap through an additional snubber plate, which, by nails or drivescrews, is immovably attached to the load. Each of the straps is thus brought into strong gripping engagement with the plate I I through which it is threaded so as to give the plate a snubbing effect with respect to longitudinal movement of the strap and the load. When the load is `to be removed from the car, the straps I5 are cut so as to leave the load free to be lifted away from the plate with the strap I5 still threaded therethrough.

After the load has been removed, it is necessary that the plate or plates I I and the .straps be removed from the car oor, and it has always been a rather'dicult task to remove the plates quickly and easily without marring the oor lof the car. For facilitating the removal of the plates, have provided an upwardly oiset portion I6 at an edge portion of the plate overlying the strap I5, so as to permit a claw Il, forming a part ci a hammer or wrecking bar, to Ibe inserted between the strap and the` plate, as shown in Fig. 3, for enabling the plate to be pried loose from the door. With the heel of the claw device engaging a portion or the strap I5 for this operation rather than having its bearing directly on the wooden door, the danger of breaking the surface of the floor by gouging holes therein is eliminated, the operator being able very easily to pry the plate loose by a pull longitudinally of the nails so as to accornplislfi the desired result without damage to .the floor..

As will be appreciated from an inspection of Fig. 2 of the drawing, showing the parts in their operative positions, the longitudinal pull on the strap I5, as the load tends to shift and to carry the strap therewith toward either the right or the left in said gure, comprises a component acting upwardly on the portion of the plate lirnrnediately to the left of the slot It in said Fig. 2, tending to cause such portion of the plate to be gradually forced upwardly so as to reduce the snubbing effect on the strap. In order to guard against thi-s tendency, I have pressed a rib in the plate in close proximity to the slot I4 so as to give an increased section modulus to the plate, for strengthening and stiiening the structure with respect to opposing upward or downward bowing of the metal. In the arrangement illustrated, the strengthening or stiifening of the plate in opposition to upward bowing is effected by carrying the upward offset portion I6 into close proximity to the slot I 4, whereby such oiset portions functions both as a stiffener to maintain the frictional and snubbing action upon the strap, and as a means for facilitating the use of a lever for prying the plate loose.

While I prefer to employ the form and arrangement of parts as shown by my drawing and as above described, the invention is not to be limited to such form and arrangement except so far as the claims may be so restricted, it being understood that changes might well be made in the construction without departing from the invention.

I claim:

A snu-bber plate adapted to beattached securely to the floor of a car and having an `elongated opening therethrough for engagement with .a flexible strap for applying a braking effect on the longitudinal movement of the strap ywith respect to the plate, said lplate being offset upwardly at an edge portion under which the strap normally extends in `use for enabling a claw to be inserted on top of the strap and underneath the plate for prying the plate loose from ,the iioor, with said upward oiTset of the plate extending into close proximity to s aid elongated opening through the plate so as to reinforce and stiien the plate for increasing its resistance to distortion from upward pressure of the strap thereon.

JOHN M. MOON.

Name Date yScales Aug. l, 1933 Number 

